OPINION

Government Shutdown

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

The Schumer shutdown of the federal government epitomizes the Democrats’ entire strategy for working with the remarkable presidency of Donald Trump: No, No, Never-ever.

When their Party held the White House, Democrats demanded “clean” spending bills, stripped of any unrelated issues. This more reasonable approach has been replaced with a sleight of hand strategy of, that was then, this is now.

A few short years ago, Senator Chuck Schumer compared the tactics he’s using today to hostage taking. He said, “It’s sorta like this. Someone goes into your house, takes your wife and children hostage, and then says, let’s negotiate over the price of your house.”

The flip-flop position emanating from Schumer’s mouth today is in total contradiction to his previous political posturing. He said so himself in his rant from 2013. Schumer provided this example of the hostage taking tactics he condemned back then: “You know, we could do the same thing on immigration. We believe strongly in immigration reform. We could say, we’re shutting down the government, we’re not gonna raise the debt ceiling, until you pass immigration reform. It would be governmental chaos.”

Today, Schumer and the Democrats are the hostage takers. They are negotiating with the proverbial gun to the head of Republicans and the American people. Their ransom note reads as follows: “You give us total amnesty for DACA recipients and all illegal immigrants, no end to chain migration or the visa lottery, no deportation of even criminal aliens like MS-13 gang members and not one brick for a border wall or we’ll shut down the government.”

The Schumer shutdown has dispelled any illusions about what the Democrats stand for. 

Never before in American history has a major political party put the wants and desires of foreigners ahead of the interests of American citizens. That tenet was formerly the platform of some far out of the mainstream lunatic fringe third party.

This is a remarkable achievement – and it’s the only one the Democrats can claim.

Their abject hatred of President Trump has served up to now to mask their hatred of America itself. 

But that mask has been torn away and we now see Democrats opposed to not just the President, but American government, the American people, who they call deplorables, and even the very idea of American sovereignty. Worse yet they do it with no shame.

This is the bright side to the Schumer shutdown: The opposition has dropped all pretenses. The Democrats never wanted you to know their true agenda, but it is now out in the open, for all to see. 

The Schumer shutdown will not stop America because our great country is far more than the government. The Constitution and the rule of law still matters to the American people. It is why they supported Trump for President.

Democrats are rolling the dice that the GOP will blink in the end. Republicans usually do in these showdowns. The GOP has to stand firm this time however. If they do not it will encourage more hostage taking by Schumer in the future.

David A. Clarke Jr is President of DAC Enterprises and Spokesman for America First PAC.